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How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?

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Offline slade11_98

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How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« on: April 23, 2005, 05:27:49 PM »
I just bought a Suzuki Sidekick that is lifted and has 33x10.50 tires on it. The person I bought it from said it has lockers on it. So I jacked the front end up and spun the tires and one went clockwise and the other went counter clockwise. Then I chained it to a tree to see if all four wheels would spin and they the left front and rear spun and the right front and rear spun but it was kinda jerky. All four spun but I was just making sure that this was right? Can anyone help me figure this out?

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Offline bashzuk

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2005, 05:37:21 PM »
to find out if locker is in the rear peel out in some dirt you should have two tire tracks if only one then no.

I think it should given the tree test you put it through.
« Last Edit: April 23, 2005, 05:56:30 PM by bashzuk »
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Offline explosivo

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2005, 05:51:50 PM »
pop out the third member and check ;)
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Offline tracker8wr

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2005, 03:34:01 AM »
jack it up it shoud go click click click click as it goes around. if the tires turn in seperate directions when u spin them and no clicking no locker. unless it is an ARB.
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Offline Natebert

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2005, 05:06:42 AM »
Drive it!

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Offline jagular7

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2005, 03:45:33 PM »
To check for lockers, do not strap yourself to a tree and try to spin the tires. Once your tires get enough friction, you can only twist something so far before something breaks. Figure that the engine is the starter to spin the tires. There is lots of stuff between them. Stop a tire completely and wonder what breaks. Think it'll be the engine???? Think not.

First, make sure you have some type of locking differential. Lift 1 tire on an axle in the air. Spin it. If you can not, there is some type of limited slip or locker in it. If you can, it means either you don't have a locking type differential, or that your limited slip is no longer limiting.....

To properly check for lockers, inspect the differential to see the locker carrier. To check for lockers without tearing into the diffs, lift up 1 axle enough to have tires off the ground. Spin 1 tire and they both shall spin the same way. Stop the spin while other tire is still slightly spinning, it should ratchet.
If there was a limited slip working properly, both tires would spin the same...
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Offline SiKiD_01

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2005, 01:40:35 AM »
you're asking if your kick has a locker installed. there are only a few 'lockers' that fully engage, ie, 100% lock, that is the ARB air locker, a spool, or mini spool, and the lock right, or detroit lockers.

a lsd works on a different design, it allows for a certain amount of slip before a 'locking' sensation may be felt or encountered. an lsd consists of springs and clutch packs which cause increased friction between the clutch packs from the springs to limit slip.



if you have a trolley jack, jack the rear diff off the ground, so that both rear tyres are off the ground, remember to chock/block the front wheels so that it will not fall off the jack.

place the gearbox in 1st gear. (if you are checking the front, you will need to engage 4wd, and lock the front hubs if possible)

now spin either the left or rigth tyre any direction. observe what the other tyre does.

if it spins in the opposite direction, try spinning the tyre several more revolutions. if the effort is the same and does not increase, and the other tyre continues to spin in the opposite direction, then you do not have a locker installed.

with 1st gear selected, it will not be possible for the left and right tyres to turn in the same direction, ie, forward OR reverse.

with a lock right, the tyre you are turning should either produce a clicking/ratcheting noise as it unlocks and rides the internal driver, or it will lock and you will not be able to turn the tyre at all. if this happens, reverse the rotation of the tyre to see if it will unlock. by now, you should be able to conclude if your kick is equipped with a locker such as a lock right.

with some LSD diffs, it will act as a normal open unlocked diff until the clutch packs inside wind up and eventually lock both right and left tyres together.

if you spin the tyre, with 1st gear selected, and the other tyres spins in the opposite direction, have either someone hold the other tyre still and continue to spin the tyre on your side, if the effort increases to a point where it is hard(er) to turn, or unable to turn anymore, you may have a LSD installed.

it is also easy for lsd's to lose effectiveness after its clutches have worn out to a point where they are not able to cause enough friction to lock up both tyres together.

LSD's also have a level of tuning, depending on it you require it to be tight and lock up earlier, or if you dont mind it being left at standard specs and locking after ONE tyre has rotated a few revolutions.

you can also do this to the front to see if the front of your kick has a locker installed. but you need to make sure that the 4wd is engaged so the front drive shaft front the gear box to the front diff will not turn. also make sure the hubs are engaged, or locked.


chaining you kick up to a tree to see if it has lockers is almost a sure way to kill it in every respect.

also, accelerating hard on loose dirt or gravel will not give you a definate answer as to whether you have lockers or not, as a normal open diff will transfer power to the tyre with least grip, and on a loose surface both tyres on the driving axle will spin. also a kick is reasonably light in weight.

if you want to use this particular method, (only in 2wd), then position your kick where it will have its left tyres on the road or a hard non slippery surface, and the right tyres on dirt, or off the road. make sure the road a head is clear, and accelerate hard. this does not need to be redline in 1st gear, nor does it have to be all the way down the street.

observe what your kick does. if the tyre on the dirt spins ridiculously, and you move off reasonably slow, you do not have a locker.

if the tyre on the dirt does not spin, or the tyre on the road spins also, then you will have a locker of some sort fitted.

ultimately, the only way to be to be 100% sure, is to pull the carrier out of the diff housing and inspect.
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Offline Bobzooki

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2005, 02:50:24 AM »
Look in the back, for a line of tall skinny cabinets, with combination locks on them - those are...lockers!

:o ::) ;) ;D
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Offline Setheron

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2005, 07:54:19 AM »
Just jack up one side of the rear end on a flat surface or level ground then get in and try to drive off if the kick moves or comes off the jack is has a locker if it spins it does not

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Offline zutefisk

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #9 on: April 27, 2005, 12:49:31 PM »
Find a parking lot and drive in circles.

If it chirps and jerks in 2wd, your rear is locked.

Put it in 4wd, and drive in some more ciircles, If it has the turning radius of an F350 crew cab, your front is locked.
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Offline SiKiD_01

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #10 on: April 27, 2005, 06:45:32 PM »
Quote
Find a parking lot and drive in circles.

If it chirps and jerks in 2wd, your rear is locked.

Put it in 4wd, and drive in some more ciircles, If it has the turning radius of an F350 crew cab, your front is locked.


well thats an easy way to find out isnt it. (also easy to find out how strong the transfer gears are too)

almost as good as chaining it up too a tree to find out.

hehehehe

pretty funny.  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Offline kieronfb

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2011, 07:41:51 PM »
Ok so this story isint a kick but a F-250 I bought in the 2000s the guy said it had a locker I drove it for a week or so
and wheeled a few times. "open diff" I thought the hole time this guy B.S'ed me.
so a year went bye and I decided to sell it to a friend. a another year went bye my bud calls me up and asks
why I didn't tell him about the broken Detroit locker in the Dana 60.  lol

end of story "Open the diff and take a look!!!!!!!!!"    
« Last Edit: April 17, 2011, 10:57:41 PM by kieronfb »
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Offline locjaw

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #12 on: April 18, 2011, 07:38:26 AM »
Ok so this story isint a kick but a F-250 I bought in the 2000s the guy said it had a locker I drove it for a week or so
and wheeled a few times. "open diff" I thought the hole time this guy B.S'ed me.
so a year went bye and I decided to sell it to a friend. a another year went bye my bud calls me up and asks
why I didn't tell him about the broken Detroit locker in the Dana 60.  lol

end of story "Open the diff and take a look!!!!!!!!!"    
sweet story! too bad that none of the origonal posters are even active members anymore :P actually, bobzuki was on a while back.

still though, you have to love this place. to bring a 6 year old thread back to life is awesome!
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Offline Bobzooki

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #13 on: April 18, 2011, 08:17:25 AM »
sweet story! too bad that none of the origonal posters are even active members anymore :P actually, bobzuki was on a while back.
still though, you have to love this place. to bring a 6 year old thread back to life is awesome!

I saw my own post in this thread, and thught "holy mother of Zuul, how OLD is this thread?"
Bob

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Offline kieronfb

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Re: How can I tell if my Sidekick has lockers?
« Reply #14 on: April 18, 2011, 07:27:27 PM »
sorry bud I'm new to all this Forum stuff.
"Somebody put this together, I must be able to take it apart!"
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It's not abuse if you know what you're doing! It's simply called testing the abilities of your equipment!